NEW YORK (April 30, 2025) — Aldeas–A New Story is a new feature-length documentary and worldwide cultural project developed by Scholas Occurrentes, the global educational movement founded by Pope Francis, in collaboration with Academy Award® – winning director Martin Scorsese.
Rooted in the Pope’s belief in the sacred nature of creativity, the Aldeas–A New Story film chronicles the work of Scholas Occurrentes’ latest “Aldeas” cinema initiative whose purpose brings together education, film production, and community building to make some of the deepest calls of his papacy a reality: creating the culture of encounter from the peripheries, gathering together the beauty of human diversity, and fostering unity in a divided world. Through hands-on workshops, communities from around the globe will create scripted short films that celebrate their unique identities, histories, and values. The behind-the-scenes stories of these shorts will be interwoven with previously unseen conversations between Pope Francis and Scorsese. The documentary also features the Pope’s final in-depth on-camera interview for cinema, filmed exclusively for Aldeas – A New Story.
Aldeas–A New Story, produced by Aldeas Scholas Films in association with Sikelia Productions and Massive Owl Productions, intertwines the creation of the communities’ short films and Pope Francis’ interviews with Martin Scorsese’s return to his ancestral hometown in Sicily.
Indonesia, The Gambia, and Italy are among the first countries to participate in this Aldeas initiative, and the making of their short narrative films will be captured and included in Aldeas–A New Story. By empowering communities to tell their own stories and preserve their cultural legacies, the feature documentary stands as a testament to the enduring belief that creativity is not only a means of expression but a path to hope and transformation.The short films themselves will ultimately premiere in newly established local cinemas, serving as lasting hubs for cultural expression and education. The Aldeas–A New Story film and Scholas Occurrentes’ Aldeas movement are independently financed by international sponsors and donors, ensuring all proceeds are reinvested into expanding the initiative globally.
